HOBOKEN, N.J. – The Union College women's volleyball team started its 2023 season on Friday afternoon with a split of two matches at the Stevens Invitational, falling 3-0 to the host Ducks before coming back for a 3-1 victory over Defiance College.
 
Sophomore Shannon McGrath led Union on the attack in both matches, finishing with a team-leading 15 kills over the seven sets. Senior Keara Page added 13 kills and a team-best six blocks on the day, while sophomore Georgia Pool paced the team defensively with 25 digs.
 
Stevens 3, Union 0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-21)
 
Union ran into a strong Stevens squad to begin the day and the season, as the Ducks used 13 service aces to deal the visitors a 3-0 defeat. McGrath led Union with seven kills, followed by Page with six kills and a team-high four blocks.
 
Union started slowly in the first set of the new season, allowing Stevens to score 10 of the first 14 points to take control of the contest early. First-year Maddie McCarron started off the season with a kill for the visitors, but the Ducks reeled off five of the next six points and held a comfortable lead for much of the frame.
 
The teams went back-and-forth to start the second stanza, but the home team used a 7-1 run midway through the frame to open up a 15-9 advantage and the visitors could not find their way back into the period.
 
The Garnet Chargers jumped out to an early 7-4 lead to begin the third set and held the advantage for much of the period, taking an 16-11 lead after back-to-back kills from Page and classmate Nikki Newcomer. However, a 9-2 run gave Stevens back the lead and the Ducks scored the final three points of the set to clinch the match.
 
Union 3, Defiance 1 (25-13, 25-16, 18-25, 25-21)
 
Union responded well in the second match of the day, taking the first two sets of the afternoon before completing a 3-1 victory. McGrath flirted with a triple-double, putting down eight kills with eight aces and 14 digs, followed by Page with seven kills. McCarron hit .375 with five kills on eight attempts and junior Farah Elgala also had five kills on 13 errorless attempts (.385).
 
After Defiance started on a 6-3 run, Union came back with seven straight points, including a pair of aces from senior Denali Douglas, to take back the lead at 10-6. McGrath had four aces of her own during a 6-0 run that created plenty of separation later in the set, and the Garnet Chargers closed with a 6-0 run to take the opening frame.
 
Two more aces from McGrath helped the Garnet Chargers take an early 3-2 lead in the second stanza, and Union never trailed after that to take a 2-0 lead.
 
After Defiance stayed in the match by taking the third set, Union rebounded with a 10-4 start to the fourth frame on the way to a win. After the Yellow Jackets closed to within two at 17-15, Union posed a crucial 6-1 run – helped by a kill and ace by McGrath and four Defiance errors – to create enough separation to pull out the victory.
 
Union will return to action tomorrow at Stevens with a 4 p.m. match against Catholic.